Builders/Drafters/Architects

ABC Building Company have clients, Joe and Mary, who want to build a house on an average 450sqm block. The block has views of the river and the hills, so Joe and Mary want the design to incorporate balconies at the front and back.

A design of the dwelling with second storey has been prepared and submitted to Council, but there are a few problems:

• the balconies and windows do not comply with the Residential Design Codes;
• there are a few setbacks to the side and front boundary; and
• a boundary wall to the double garage is over 10 metres in length.

The Local Government Officer writes to ABC Building Company to advise that features of the proposed development don’t comply with the Residential Design Codes and to request that further information be submitted to rectify those issues. The application is therefore delayed until ABC Building Company can provide further details and satisfy the Local Government officers.

More information is provided; however, the Local Government officer is not satisfied that the justification addresses requirements of the Residential Design Codes. Further negotiations between ABC Building Company and the Local Government are required, delaying the process even more. The end result is the plans need to be changed.

How could this have been avoided?

If ABC Building Company had employed PLANCHECK, all of the information would have been included with the initial application. Significantly, justification to ensure that the desired design was supported by the Local Government would have been included. The application would not have been delayed and there is a good chance the plans could have stayed as they were.